Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 November 2023
91. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to rapidly scale-up the building of affordable housing (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51214/23]
View answerHousing for All, the Government’s housing plan, puts affordability at the heart of the housing system with an ambitious target to increase the supply of housing by delivering 300,000 homes for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing purposes over the nine year period to 2030. The plan commits to the delivery of 54,000 affordable homes by 2030 while also placing priority on the delivery of purpose built student accommodation. The plan can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/ef5ec-housing-for-all-a-new-housing-plan-for-ireland/#view-the-plan. Importantly, Housing for All is updated on an annual basis, to respond to changing circumstances and to ensure the focus remains firmly on delivery. In this regard, the second annual update of the plan was published on 14 November 2023, and can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/97015-housing-for-all-action-plan-update-and-q3-2023-progress-report/.
Policy and funding in relation to the delivery of purpose-built student accommodation is a matter for the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science who, in line with Housing for All, has received Government approval for a strategy and funding plan to address the difficulties faced by students in accessing affordable student accommodation.
In relation to rental market inspections, the Government is committed to ensuring that a stock of high quality accommodation is available for students and all those who live in the private rented sector. Housing for All sets a target for the inspection of 25% of all registered private residential tenancies. A total of €9 million in Exchequer funding is being made available by my Department to local authorities this year to help them meet their private rental inspection targets.
Last year local authorities conducted an all-time high of over 49,000 inspections of private rented dwellings, up from circa 25,000 in 2020 and 20,000 in 2021, when pandemic restrictions had impacted on inspections. Figures from Q1 to Q3 2023 show that the number of inspections have continued to increase significantly this year with over 48,000 conducted to the end of Q3.
There are no plans to introduce NCT-type certification requirements for rental accommodation. Legal obligations on landlords as specified in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 are kept under continuous review.
I also understand that the Minister for Justice has given a commitment to bring forward amendments to the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023 which is currently before the Dáil.
Overall, a range of affordability schemes are now in place under the Affordable Housing Act 2021 that will increasingly provide a growing number of affordable options for eligible prospective homeowners and renters. Delivery is being facilitated and scaled-up nationwide by local authorities, approved housing bodies, the Land Development Agency, and via the First Homes scheme.
